What is the
Venice Biennale?

The most important Biennale 2026 year is the

Art Biennale: 9 May to 22 November 2026

Other biennales include the

Theatre Biennale: 7  – 21 June, 2026
Dance Biennale: 17 July to 1 August 2026
Cinema Biennale 2025 (Film Festival): 2 – 12 September 2026 (Location: Lido di Venezia)
Music Biennale: 10 – 24 October 2026

The Venice Biennale has existed since 1895, for almost 130 years.

Originally, it was a purely art biennale, held every two years. However, there are now biennials dedicated to architecture, music, theater, film, and dance. The art and architecture biennials alternate, while the others are held annually.

The word “biennial” is derived from the word “biennium,” which refers to a period of two years.

We attended the Architecture Biennial in 2023 and the Art Biennial in 2024 for you. Therefore, we will show you pictures from these biennials here and provide a brief report below.

Experience report:
Art Biennale 2024

In 2024 two of the museos-Team went to see the Art Biennale! Jacqueline and I, Céline so you’ll be getting insights from two Museo experts. 😀

Here are 3 answers to practical questionsand here you will find our impressions of this visits in 2024!

1) How long do you need for the Art Biennale?

It all depends on your expectations of the Biennale and of yourself, and of course on how much time you have available. We both spent one day there, from around 11 a.m. to about 6 p.m., visiting both exhibition venues, the Arsenale and the Giardini, which are actually quite close to each other. That was quite intense and demanding, but still fine for a first visit to the Biennale for us. If you want to take your time and really enjoy the exhibitions, then two days is the minimum (there are tickets for 1, 3 or 7 days).

I would also recommend staying in Venice for at least 1–2 extra days to visit additional Biennale-related exhibitions around the city (and to enjoy a relaxed aperitivo!). These are often located in special venues such as churches and palaces. This year, even a women’s prison is included (the Vatican Pavilion!).

2) How can you prepare?

Whether you have a lot of time or only a little, I recommend informing yourself in advance about the highlights of the main exhibitions and the national pavilions: through cultural magazines on television, websites reporting on the Biennale, or the official press kit.

On site, I bought the official guide, which presents all the artists in the main exhibitions as well as the national pavilions. If you are very interested in art, it is worth ordering this guide in advance and looking through it at home. That way, you can note which works you definitely want to see and make sure you don’t miss anything!

But it is also just as valuable to remain open to discovering new and unexpected things, which should not be a problem given the wide range of different exhibitions on offer!

3) Where should you start your visit?

The Biennale is a mix of:

• two large exhibitions,
• various national pavilions,
• collateral events,

all spread across three areas

• the Giardini (gardens),
• the Arsenale (a former shipyard),
• and several locations throughout the city of Venice itself.

There is no set order in which to visit, meaning you can simply start wherever it suits you best.

I arrived directly from the airport with the Alilaguna transfer, which has two stops near the Biennale: Bacini – Arsenale Nord and Giardini. I got off at Bacini and walked from there to the Arsenale (early in the morning through a residential area without tourists – very nice!). There is also a cloakroom with lockers for bags and small luggage.

If I had already been in Venice, I would probably have started at the Giardini. There you can see more and also larger national pavilions, which are more demanding in terms of content. In other words: if you are still fresh in the morning, it’s easier to take it all in!

At the Arsenale I first went through the main exhibition, while at the Giardini I started with the pavilions. Again, it’s really up to personal preference.

Location
Gardinis de la Biennale

The Giardini have been the main venue of the Biennale since it first began in 1895. The gardens were originally laid out by Napoleon in the 19th century and are located at the edge of Venice. The very first Biennale exhibitions took place in the “Pro Arte” Pavilion – the first and central building within the gardens, constructed between 1894 and 1895.

Those early editions were such a success that a more structured organisation quickly became necessary. As a result, from 1907 onwards, the individual national pavilions began to be built.

Today, there are 29 pavilions in total, some of them designed by renowned architects – for example, Josef Hoffmann for Austria, Gerrit Thomas Rietveld for the Netherlands, and Alvar Aalto for the Finnish/Nordic Pavilion.

In 2009, the original “Pro Arte” Pavilion was transformed into a multifunctional space, hosting a permanent exhibition even outside the Biennale season. Its highlight is undoubtedly the Biennale Café “Bar Dei Giardini”, designed by Tobias Rehberger – definitely worth a visit!

Venice Biennale
A bit of history

The first Biennale was, in fact, an art biennale, which opened in 1895. The project was initiated by Riccardo Selvatico, the then mayor of Venice, under the title La Biennale di Venezia.

Following the success of the first editions – held every two years – the national pavilions were introduced in 1907. The first to be completed was the Belgian Pavilion, designed by architect Léon Sneyers.

During the 1930s, the Biennale expanded to include music, cinema, and theatre. In 1932, Venice hosted the world’s first film festival, now one of the most prestigious in existence.

The Architecture Biennale was established in 1980, and since 1999, dance has also been recognised as one of the Biennale’s official art forms.

Many artists were first discovered or especially honoured here. Collectors and creators exchanged ideas, and countless fascinating developments in the art world trace their origins back to the Biennale. Below are a few highlights from its rich history:

1910: One of the main pavilion’s halls was entirely dedicated to Gustav Klimt, while Renoir received a solo presentation and Courbet a retrospective. In the same year, a Picasso work was removed for fear it might shock the public.

During the 1930s, the Biennale continued to evolve despite the fascist regime. Even contemporary music was “allowed”, and the American Pavilion opened its doors.

1932 marked a turning point for the film industry: the Venice Film Festival was born, and the Golden Lion became one of cinema’s most coveted prizes.
In 1935, Olympia by Leni Riefenstahl was screened.

The Biennale was suspended during the war years but resumed in 1948, a landmark edition that welcomed the leading contemporary artists of the time. At last, Picasso featured with a retrospective, and Peggy Guggenheim was invited to exhibit her collection — including works by Chagall, Klee, Braque, Delvaux, Ensor, and Magritte. That same year, she decided to move to Venice and founded the Guggenheim Museum.

1950: The US Pavilion showcased contemporary American painting with Pollock, Gorky, and de Kooning, while Germany presented artists of the “Blue Rider” group.

1952: The “Brücke” artists were featured, and Alexander Calder became the first major American artist to win the Gran Premio di Scultura.

1964: The arrival of Pop Art took centre stage — a turning point in modern art history.

Notable German contributions followed:

1972: Gerhard Richter

1976: Joseph Beuys

1980: Georg Baselitz and Anselm Kiefer

1986: Sigmar Polke, who won the Golden Lion

2003: Martin Kippenberger represented Germany

2013: Ai Weiwei exhibited for Germany, in a pavilion exchange with France

-> Sorry, as I am a german girl I am especially focused on  that 😉

And in 2017, Anne Imhof transformed the German Pavilion with a groundbreaking performance installation. A fun anecdote: while she studied at the Städelschule in Frankfurt (2008–2012), I was working next door at the Städel Museum (2007–2012) — though sadly, our paths never crossed! Imhof went on to win the Golden Lion for Best National Participation, curated by Susanne Pfeffer.

In Austria’s case, I found it fascinating that the architect Hans Hollein served as the commissioner of the Austrian Pavilion five times, from 1980 to 1990. He happens to be the father of Max Hollein, who was the director of the Städel Museum during my time working there — it really is a small world!

A particularly memorable Austrian artist was Erwin Wurm, who represented the country in 2017.

From Switzerland, several artists have left their mark on the Biennale over the years: Miriam Cahn in 1984, the duo Peter Fischli and David Weiss in 1995, and Ugo Rondinone in 2007.

For me, these have been some of the most intriguing highlights so far.

Oh, and while the Venice Biennale is undoubtedly the most famous, it’s far from the only one. Other major biennales include those of São Paulo (since 1951) and Paris (since 1958), as well as Berlin’s own Biennale.

Extra:
the Golden Lion

In Italian, “Leone d’Oro” – the Golden Lion – is the most prestigious award of the Venice Film Festival. The symbol of the lion is inspired by other renowned festival awards such as the Golden Palm of Cannes and the Golden Bear of the Berlinale. Moreover, the lion is also featured on Venice’s city emblem, making the Golden Lion an almost inevitable choice.

The prize was first introduced in 1949, though it was originally known as the “Lion of Saint Mark” (Leone di San Marco), and between 1950 and 1952 it was called the “Golden Lion of Saint Mark”.

Since 1970, the Golden Lion has also been awarded as an honorary lifetime achievement prize, and in more recent years it has been extended to include artists — which is why figures such as Sigmar Polke and Anne Imhof have received this prestigious honour.